Deep fryers are commercially used by restaurants, institutional kitchens, and fast food establishments for cooking a variety of food products, such as french fries, fish, fried chicken, and the like. The food product is cooked by totally immersing it within a vat or tank that is filled with heated oil or shortening. The shortening may be heated using a flow of heated gas that is forced or drawn through heat exchanger tubes located within the cooking vat.
Prior art venturi fed burners have a venturi typically located directly adjacent, and leading straight into, the burner which heats the gas flowing into the heat exchanger tubes. Such a construction does not provide for extensive mixing of gas and air prior to entry into the burner. This location of the venturi apparatus also makes it difficult to place a filter tub under the vat. Other locations of the venturi apparatus may interfere with sensor connections, block the servicing of fryer components, or impede the operation of valves and switches required to operate the fryer.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a venturi for a deep fryer which reduces or wholly overcomes some or all of the aforesaid difficulties inherent in prior known devices. Particular objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that is, those who are knowledgeable or experienced in this field of technology, in view of the following disclosure of the invention and detailed description of certain preferred embodiments.